Flush tank



J. B. PAUL 1,750,427 FLUSH TANK Filed June 8, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 1l, 1930.

J: B. PAUL FLUSH TANK March 11,v 1930.

D Filed June 8I 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 59 will /lL/f/VEY Patented Mar. 11, 1930 PATENT OFFICE JOHN B. PAUL, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA FLUSH TANK Application led .Tune 8,

This invention relates to tanks for waterclosets and more in particular to a new sys` tem for operating said tanks.

One of the main object-s is to provide a tank having very ample flushing capacity while at the same time being of reduced dimensions enabling the erection of the tank within an ordinary ypartition wall built up of 2 X4 studding and plastered on both sides. Another object is to provide a water closet tank in which the so-called sweating due to the condensation of atmospheric humidity on the cold walls of the tank is practically eliminated. A further object is to produce a flush tank which is quiet in operation and in which all the water carrying pipes and valves are of ample dimensions to prevent clogging. Still another object of this invention is the provision of a flush tank in which the usual rubber flush valves and floats have been eliminated, which is simple in construction, which is very economical in the use of water and which requires practically no adjustments after its installation. Additional features and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a flush tank of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the tank, with the cover removed.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 represents a guide-plug used in control valve.

Fig. 5 is a top view of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a slide used in the control valve.

Fig. 7 is a perspective View showing a iiushtank installed in a tiled wall.

A flush tank built in accordance with this invention comprises a tank body 1 made of .i any suitable material such as glazed porcelain, a lid 2, a water inlet pipe 3 and a flush pipe 4.

The water supply is controlled by the control-valve which is but a slight modification of a valve of my invention forming the sub- 1928. Serial No. 283,774'.

ject matter of Patent No. 1,598,743 issued in my name on September 7th, 1926.

As shown in the drawings, the control valve consists of a body portion 5 and a cover 6, both parts being flanged and secured together by screws 7. The body has a centrally disposed cylinder 8 at the lower part of which is connected the discharge pipe 9 which reaches down to within a short distance of the bottom 10 of the flush tank. Cast onto the body portion is also a pipe connection 11 in which is screwed one end of the supply pipe 12 the lower part of which passes through a bushing 13 fastened in the bottom of the flush tank and is outwardly connected to a water line 3, Fig. 7

The flow of water into the flush-tank is controlled by means of the following mechanism: A diaphragm 14 of resilient and water resisting material, such as rubber is securely clamped between the fianges of the body 5 and the cover 6. Centrally disposed on the underside of the diaphragm is a valve disc 15, preferably of leather, which engages the finished upper end of the cylinder 8. This disc is held in place by the guide-plug 16 and by the valve plug 17 in the flanged head 18 of which is placed a rubber washer 19 which forms the seat of the plunger-pin 2O having at the top a conical head 21 acting as valve disc upon said rubber washer. The valve plug and guide plug are centrally bored to a larger diameter than the plunger-pin whereby the latter is loosely guided for vertical movement.

The valve-plug is guided in the cylinder 8 by means of ribs 1Ga which provide ample clearance for the passage of water through the cylinder 8 into the discharge pipe 9. The plunger-pin is also freely guided at the bottom of the cylinder, as shown at 22, and is eX- tended a suitable amount below said bottom.' ln the protruding portion of the plungerpin are cut two circular grooves or notches 23 and 2a. The plunger-pin passes through a bevelled aperture 25 provided in the horizontal slide Q6 freely mounted in the guide 27 provided on the underside of the cylinder body S.

Cast at one side of the latter is a bifurcated K Ylet connection.

support 28 in which is rockably mounted on a pin 29 the bell crank lever 30, the horizontal arm 3l of which is made relatively heavy whereas the pin-shaped vertical arm 32 is light and engages an aperture 33 provided at the outer end of the slide 26. will be noted that the normal tendency of said lever is to move the slide towards the plunger-pin thus causing the bevelled edge of the aperture 25 to engage one of the notches 23 or 24.

The plunger-pin is lifted off its seat in the rubber washer 19 by means of the plungerlever 34 which is hingedly mounted on an arm depending from the body portion of the control valve. This lever is connected by means of a connecting'link 36 to the inner arm 37 of the operating handle 38 mounted in the front wall of the flush-tank.

The chamber 39 formed between the diaphragm 14 and the cap 6 communicates with the supply-connection ll by means of ports 40 and 41 and the amount of water flowing through these ports may be regulated by means of a needle valve 42 of usual design.

Placed substantially in the middle of the tank bottom is the outlet connection 43 having a nipple 44 to whic is connected the flush pipe 4 (Fig. 7), leading to a water closet or the like. This connection is fastened to the tank by means of a lock-nut 45, and rubber gaskets 46 are used to provide a leakproof connection.

The outlet connection is closed by means of the flush valve 47 which comprises an apertur guide-sleeve 48, fitting freely within said connection, and a flanged head 49 in which is mounted a rubber washer or valve disc 50 adapted to seat itself on the top of out- This head is centrally apertured and threaded to receive a tube 5l eX- tending vertically above the normal level of the water in the flush-tank. rlhis tube is connected by means of a link 52 to one arm of the balance lever 53 fastened to a shaft 54 journaled in suitable socket bearings 55 provided on the inside of the flush-tank. At the end of the other arm of this lever is suspended by means of the hooked link 56 the bucket 57 in the bottom of which is a small drain-hole 53. rlhis bucket fits freely in a cylindrical vessel 59 which communicates with the outlet connection 43 by means of a drainpipe 60, which also acts as a support for said vessel. In the outlet connection there is also a small port 61 by means of which most of the water in the tank may be drained into the flush-pipe.

At one side of the tube 5l there is suitably placed a lug 62 adapted to strike the arm 31 of the lever 30 when the tube is lifted off its seat in a manner to be described hereinafter.

rllhe device operates as follows: When not in use, the flush-tank is empty of water, but the chamber 39 in the control valve is lilled with Water at the pressure prevailing in the supply pipe l2. To flush a water closet, the

user rotates the operating handle 38 in either direction to the limit; this rocks the plungerlever 34 upward and lifts the plunger-pin 2O olf its seat whereby Ithe edge of the beveled aperture 25 in the slide 26 is caused, under the action of the heavy arm 3l of the bellcranir lever 30, to engage the lowermost notch 24 on the plunger- 5in. The latter is, therefore, held in its uppermost position, thus enabling the water in the chamber 39 to escape through the central aperture about the plunger-pin faster than it can enter through the ports 40, 4l, and thus the water pressure in the supply pipe acting on the underside of the diaphragm lifts the latter and lets the water run into the discharge pipe 9 and the flush-tank. The flush-valve 47 being normally closed, the water from the supplypipe will thus rise in the tank.

As Ythe water reaches over the edge of the vessel 59, it will flow into the bucket 57 and when sufficient water has accumulated therein, the flush-valve will be lifted suddenly off its seat and allow a strong stream of water to run into the closet-bowl and flush the same. `When the lug 62 strikes the lever 30, the slide will be moved to the right, thus releasing the plimger-pin for an instant and allowing the notch 23 to be engaged by the beveled edge of the hole 25, ther efore, the control valve ywill be kept Aopen still. ln the meanwhile, the water in the bucket 57 will slowly escape through the drain hole 53. l/Vhen suflicient water has run out of the bucket 57 the flushvalve will close again on its seat and the main discharge will be stopped.

The lowering of the flush valve causes the luO 62 to'release its engagement with the bellcrank lever 30 and the weight of its arm 3l will push the slide 26 to the left, whereby the engagement with the notch l23 will be broken and the plunger-pin allowed to drop into closed position.A Hence, the chamber 39 will again be filled with water from the supply pipe and, because the area acted upon by the water is greater on the topl than on the underside cf the diaphragm, the control valve will be closed Linder pressure.

It will be noted that Vwhile the control valve is kept open by the slide 26, a considerable amount of water will dow in a powerful stream at the same time that-the water first accumulated in Vthe flush-tank runs out through the flush-valve. It is the combined flow of water through the flush-pipe which permits of a great reduction in the size of the flush-tank, as compared with the common lpractice which requires a flush-tank large enough to hold all the water needed'for flushing a closet-bowl. Another 1eason why my tank may be made smaller is 'that practically all the water is discharged into the closetbowl, whereas in ordinary'tanks the flushball valve closes when thewater in theftank 'is lowered toY within 3 or 4 inches from the Crt r al

bottom. This amount of water remains in the tank at the end of each flushing and, therefore, the capacit-y of the tank must be increased accordingly. The reduced size of my tank permits of considerable economies in manufacturing and shipping expenses; moreover the smaller tank can be more easily handled and installed.

After the flush-valve has closed, the water remaining in the bucket 57 and the vessel 59 will run out through the drain-pipe GO into the closet-bowl, whereas most of the water left in the tank proper will escape through the port 6l.

Because of the fact that the flush-tank is normally empty, the wall thereof will not be cooled by the water below the normal teniperature of the room in which installed and consequently the so-called sweating of said walls will be eliminated. rl`his important feature, together with the reduced size of the tank, makes my flushing device especially adapted for installation within a wall, whereby the required space for a water-closet is reduced siX inches or more. ln these days of better utilization of space in building construction, such saving of space may be of great importance and often makes possible the installation of a water closet having a built in lush-tank in places which could not accommodate an ordinary water closet.

In Fig. 7 is shown a flush-tank placed within an ordinary partition wall huilt up of two by four inch studding. It will be noted that l the opening in the wall is made longer than the flush-tank to provide space for the piping below the bottom thereof. The tank is set up on wooden blocks 63 secured to the studs G4. rlhe tank is also provided at the sides of the front wall with flanges or rims 65 to cover up the opening in the wall, and the open space below the tank is preferably covered up with an easily removable plate 6G held in place by means of screws 67 driven in the blocks 63.

The front wall of the tank and the plate 66 may be colored or otherwise ornamented to harmonize with the` tiled wall or wainscoting of a bathroom.

From the drawings it will be seen that the water supply and the discharge pipes and the valves therefor are all of relatively large size, hence not subject to clogging. The {lushtank, although empty at the beginning, is

rapidly and quietly filled and emptied. Moreover, the main valves need no adpistmentafter the needle-valve l2 has been adjusted to suit the pressure in the supply line.

Another desirable feat-ure of my device lies in the fact that hidden or unnoticeable i# losses of water through leakingvalves are practically impossible. For instance, a leaky flush valve would cause no water losses of any importance, since the tank is empty when not in use. On the other hand, should the main valve or the plunger-pin valve of the control valve become defective, the flush-tank would be lled up until the flush-valve would be operated by the bucket 5T and a strong normal flushing action would result, which factwould readily be noticed, thus informing the owner that the device is not in proper condition and should be repaired. This is not the case in ordinary flush-tanks where wasteful leaks may prevail for a long period of time before being noticed.

Also, should the flush-valve, for any reason, become jammed, most of the water discharged into the tank would enter at the top of the flush-tube 5l which, in this case, would act as an overflow pipe. The noise created by the water discharged would give warning that the tank needs attention.

As will be understood, as suggested herein, there may be slight changes made in the construction and arrangement of the details of my invention without departing` from the field and scope of the same, and l intend to include all such variations, as fall within the scope of the appended claims, in this application in which the preferred form only of my invention has been disclosed.

l rlaimz l n combination with a flush tank, a supy alve comprising a valve body having an let wipe and an outlet pipe discharging into said ta a cover for said body; a diaphragm p ioned intermediate said body and cover; a valve disc positioned on the lower side of the diaphragm; a seat for said disc; a plug adapted to secure said disc to the diaphragm and having a central aperture; a plunger pin loosely slidable in said aperture and ha fing a head adapted to close *l me; means to introduce water from the supply pipe above said diaphragm; means to li t the plunger pin for discharging the water above the diaphragm into the discharge pipe; a slide adapted to engage the plunger pin and hold same into lifted position, and means to actuate said slide.

2. ln combination with a flush tank, a supply valve compris-ing a valve body having an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe discharging into said t; a cover for said body; a diaphragm pos cloned intermediate said body and cover; a valve disc positioned on the lower side of the diaphragm; a seat for said disc; a plug adapted to secure said disc to the diaphragm and havin@ a central aperture; plunger piu loosely slidable in said aperture and having a head adapted to close the same; adjus-able means to introduce water from the supply pipe above said diaphragm; means operable from without the flush tank to lift the plunger pin for discharging the water above the diaphragm into the discharge pipe; a slide adapted to engage the plunger pin and hold same nto lifted position, and means to a-ctuate said slide.

3. ln combination with a flush tank, a supply valve comprising a valve body having hold the plunger pin into intermediate raised an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe discharging position temporarily during the flushing peinto said tank; a cover for said body; a diariod of the tank. Y phragm positioned intermediate said body ln testimony whereof I alX my signature. and cover; a valve disc positioned on the lower side of the diaphragm; a seat for said JHN B PAUL disc; a plug adapted to secure said disc to the diaphragm and having a central aperture; a plunger pin loosely slidable in'said w' aperture and having a head adapted to close 75 same; adjustable means 'to introduce water from the supply pipe above said diaphragm; means operable from without the flush tank to lift the plunger pin for discharging the water above the diaphragm into the dis- 80 charge pipe; a slide adapted to engage the plunger and hold the same into lifted position; guide means for said slide positioned on the valve body, and gravity operated means to actuate said slide. 85

el. ln combination with a tank having a iinsh valve, a supply valve comprising a valve body having an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe discharging into said tank; a cover for said body; a diaphragm positioned inter- 90Y mediate said body and cover; a valve disc positioned on the lower side of the diaphragm; a seat for said disc; a plug adapted to secure said disc to the diaphragm and havlng a central aperture; a plunger pin loosely Y 95 slidable in said aperture and having a head adapted to close the same; adjustable means to introduce water from the supply pipe n above said diaphragm; means operable from without the tank to lift the plunger pin for 100 discharging the water above the diaphragm into the discharge pipe; a slide adapted to engage the plunger pin and hold the same successively into lifted position and into an 40 intermediate position, and gravity operated 105 means to actuate said slide.

5. In combination with a tank having a llush valve, a supply valve comprising a valve body having' an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe discharging into said tank; a cover for said 110 body; a diaphragm positioned intermediate said body and cover; a valve disc positioned on thD lower side of the diaphragm; a seat for said disc; aplug adapted to secure said disc to the diaphragm and having a central 115 aperture; a plunger pin loosely slidable in said aperture and having a head adapted to close the same, said plunger pin having also two notches disposed in spaced relation i,

thereon; adjustable means to introduce 120 water from the supply pipe above said dia.- phragm; means operable from without the tank to lift the plunger pin :for discharging the water above the diaphragm into the discharge pipe; a slide adapted to engage the Y 125 notches on the plunger pin to hold the same i into lited position; gravity operated means to actua-te said slide, and means positioned on the llush valve adapted to engage the slide operating means and cause the slide to 130 

